In the last year adult coloring has taken the world by storm and local libraries are taking notice.

The Altoona and Bondurant public libraries both have adult coloring events. Bondurant hosts its event at Reclaimed Rails Brewery and Altoona just hosted its first event at Brewhouse No. 25.

“We wanted to do the coloring event for a long time. We had a lot of adults asking us to do things in a more relaxed way with a beer and the answer is no on alcohol on city property,” said Kim Keitzman, director of the Altoona Public Library. “We noticed our friend Jill (library director) up in Bondurant was offering a program at Reclaimed Rails and we thought that was cool but didn’t know where to do it.”

Bondurant has been holding the adult coloring events monthly for nearly a year.

“I think it has become popular because it is relaxing and it helps people release stress,” said Michell Klinker-Feld, adult services librarian with the Bondurant Public Library.

The first event for the Altoona Public Library brought in around 12 people with numbers expected to rise after the summer.

“This summer Amy and I are trying a lot of new things. We are OK with things starting slow, we are just getting our feet under us with more adult programming or adult learning,” Keitzman said. “We thought this summer we would try a few things out. If we have a low turnout we aren’t going to stop we are just going to change the marketing or the format.”

“I think it gives people the chance to detach and unwind and not be focused on stress,” Keitzman said. “It is a creative outlet. It isn’t like painting, in coloring there are lines you can color inside of them or outside of them and do whatever combination you want.”

Keitzman said she herself doesn’t find it relaxing because of her concern of the full picture and the end result.

“I think it was a surprise it got so popular because with my personality it isn’t something that I would find relaxing,” Keitzman said.

Klinker-Feld said that there have been anywhere from 5 to 35 participants each week for the event, including Carolyn Marsh.

“I would say that the first time I really tried coloring as an adult was when they started offering it at the wineries and the breweries,” Marsh said. “It was just a combination of coloring and girls’ night out.”

Marsh said that as a kid she loved coloring and thought it would be a good excuse to hang with her friends and relax.

“I think everybody just likes to be like a kid. When you think about when you’re a kid you ride your bike and color all of the time,” Marsh said. “I love when I am with my kids or my friends’ kids I love coloring with them. It is something that is universal.”